ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · bank · mug · dip · stem · straw · hand · file

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bank — for money
  3. mug — to rob
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. file — a document
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mug — a face
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. hand — help
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. dip — to sink
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. file — a tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stem — to come from
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. file — a line of people
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com